List building 101: What you need to start building a community

List building 101: What you need to start building a community

11/29/18

List building is the #1 thing I see entrepreneurs missing out on. So today, I want to share with you exactly what you need to start building your lists and some of the mistakes I see entrepreneurs make when it comes to list building.

I’ve found that it doesn't really matter what stage you’re in, list building is key. I teach it in my membership site, my signature program Roadmap to Freedom and even my high-level mastermind.

If you are relying on a social media platform to build your community, you could be in trouble. You don’t own your social media platforms, but you do own your list.

Even if you’re product based, or you mostly do in person, you still need a list. It doesn’t matter what type of business you have, you need to have a list. What I’m talking about today is an evergreen webinar strategy. A strategy that keeps growing your list even when you’re not actively promoting.

What is Needed to Start Building Your List

1. You have to know your audience

You can’t create anything if you do not know your audience but it’s extra important when it comes to list building because you are tying to attract people that will ultimately buy from you.

2. A free offer

You need to create a free offer that will pull in your ideal audience. You need to have some sort of gift to get people on your list. They’re not going to sign up for no reason at all. This could be an e-book, a video series, a discount code, a checklist, etc.

3. A landing page

This is the place where they opt-in for your free offer. This is where you get the actual email address for your list. There are so many options for landing pages right now. I use Leadpages in my own business, but another option is built-in landing pages on your email marketing platform or custom landing pages on your own website. There are paid and free options, which mean there’s no excuse!

Related post: 4 Must-Haves for a High-Converting Landing Page

4. Email platform

You need an email marketing platform to actually send emails to your list. My favorite is ConvertKit. A free option is MailChimp, which again, there’s no excuse for not doing this!

5. Automation

This is the sequence, funnel or email series that will go out to your new leads. A really simple funnel to start with is:

1. The Welcome Email - Introduce your business and give them the free gift they opted in to

2. 24 hours later - Introduce yourself

3. Share your super power - give them value, share tips about what you know

This funnel is warming up your leads, starting the relationship with them.

6. Promotion

Talk about your freebie all the time! Put the link everywhere you can. You don’t have to put ad money behind it, and I actually encourage you to test it organically for at least 2 weeks before even considering ads. I recommend promoting your freebie at least 3 times per week. Actively put it out into the world. You absolutely do not need ads, but you can if you want after you’ve tested your offer.

The #1 mistake entrepreneurs make is assuming that everyone is just going to give them their email address. We need to treat the promotions of our free offers the same as the promotions for our paid offers.

Head over to my Facebook Page and be sure to like and comment on the video while you are over there to help more people see this information ↠ https://www.facebook.com/brandmerrycoaching/videos/268720923993543/

And as always please share and comment on this blog post, I love connecting with you!

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PART ONE: My Top Tools for My Business That Allow Me to Automate More and Work Less

PART ONE: MY TOP TOOLS FOR MY BUSINESS THAT ALLOW ME TO AUTOMATE MORE AND WORK LESS

I'm all about being able to work from wherever - in fact since launching my business I've been able to travel to Europe and California all while still being able to run my business from afar.

In fact location freedom is just the third part of the Freedom Trifecta (copyright coming soon ;)) When you have all these pieces: Time Freedom, Location Freedom and Financial Freedom, you are golden.

One of the key pieces to achieve location freedom is automation! When we were on vacation in California this past month, I was able to take coaching clients, but also know that my emails, blog posts and social postings were on automate and ready to get in the hands of my community.

So, today I'm sharing part one of my favorite automation tools with all of you.

**Disclaimer: I've marked the tools that I am an affiliate for with a little *, so I can be super transparent with all of you. However, I totally use these tools for my own business and love them, hence why I'm an affiliate.

Ok, now on to the tools! 

17 hats* - New automation, invoicing, contracts, questionnaires and bookkeeping

I use 17 hats for multiple parts of my business, but hands down my favorites are bookkeeping and questionnaires. Bookkeeping has made my life super easy, because all my accounts a streamlined with 17hats, allowing me to just run a report at the end of the quarter to see profit and loss. I utilize the questionnaires for weekly check-ins with my clients AND to capture new leads and automatically add them to my database.

Zoom* - Client calls (both 1:1 and group), trainings and discover calls

Zoom is a multi-leveled tool for my business, but I absolutely love it for my coaching calls. You can set up a meeting in Zoom (whether one time or on a set schedule) and set the recording automatic for your meetings, cause I'm constantly forgetting. I also love it for webinars!

Buffer - Social media posting to private group, business page, personal accounts and Twitter

A no-brainer and a free option as well, but super important for automating social media. I love Buffer because it is easy, affordable if you want to upgrade and allows me to schedule my posts across all platforms, including my private community Authentic Brand Builders, giving me more time to engage in other groups on Facebook and increase my visibility.

Convertkit* - Email marketing, funnels and opt-in lead pages

When I started my business I used Mailchimp as my CRM and I recommend it to my new clients if they aren't ready to invest in their email marketing platform just yet. However, I switched over the Convertkit when I wanted a platform that allowed me more tools to tag my clients, automate my business and create landing pages. Rather than having to invest in a separate platform for capturing leads, Convertkit allows you to do it all in one space (and save some serious money in the process).

Ready for Part Two? Check it out HERE >>

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Michelle Knight is a Branding and Business coach for female entrepreneurs who are struggling to gain visibility and traction to take their business to the next level. She works with her clients to dive deep into their story so they can create a brand and message that positions them as an expert and allows them to create their desired income to free up time in their schedule for what matters most. Learn more >>